Translations of Tibetan Buddhist Texts
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Latest translation
Added 18 September 2019
The Perfection of Wisdom, Mother of All Tathāgatas, ‘In One Syllable’
from the Words of the Buddha
In this (Tōh. 23), the shortest of the Prajñāpāramitā or Perfection of Wisdom sūtras, the Buddha teaches the syllable ‘A’, which encapsulates the transcendent perfection of wisdom and all the literature related to it.
Recent additions
September 2019
Unravelling Mantra’s Meaning in The Heart of Wisdom Sūtra | Prajñāpāramitā
by Śrī Siṃha
This short commentary (Tōh. 4353) on the secret mantra or tantric level meaning of the famous Heart Sūtra is attributed to the Atiyoga teacher Śrī Siṃha. According to the colophon, Śrī Siṃha gave this explanation to his disciple Vairocana, who put it into writing and taught it to King Trisong Detsen. Read text >
Aspiration Written on the Occasion of Princess Sangdé’s Passing in Sikkim | Aspiration Prayers
by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
Jamyang Khyentse wrote this prayer following the untimely passing of Princess Sangay Deki in Sikkim in 1957. The prayer is for the enlightenment of all with whom he was connected, even those who merely heard his name, but especially his devoted followers and disciples. Read text >
Burgeoning Joy and Happiness: An Aspiration for the Welfare of the Great Hidden Land of Sikkim | Aspiration Prayers
by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
Written in 1957, the year that Jamyang Khyentse first arrived in Sikkim, this is a prayer for happiness in the Himalayan kingdom (as it was then) and for the fulfilment of the aspirations and prophecies of great masters of the past concerning the welfare of its people. Read text >
The Treasury of Blessings: A Prayer to Recall the Sublime Masters who Showed Great Kindness to the Land of Snows | Prayers
by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
This non-sectarian prayer by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1893–1959) invokes many of the greatest luminaries in Tibetan Buddhist history, from King Trisong Detsen and the twenty-five disciples of Guru Padmasambhava down to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) and Jamgön Kongtrul (1813–1899). Read text >
The Refined Essence of Compassion: A Daily Sādhana for the Natural Liberation of Suffering, the Secret Practice of the Great Compassionate One | Longchen Nyingtik
by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
A daily sādhana of Dukngal Rangdrol (sdug bsngal rang grol), 'Natural Liberation of Suffering', the Avalokitśvara practice from the Longchen Nyingtik that is either classed as a peaceful yidam or secret-level guru practice from the peaceful male-vidyādhara section of the cycle. Read text >
Highlights from archive
The Bodhisattva’s Garland of Jewels | Mind Training
by Atiśa Dīpaṃkara
This short text—entitled Bodhisattvamaṇyāvalī in Sanskrit—is regarded as a classic work of the Mind Training (blo sbyong) tradition. With its direct and pithy language, it is not so much a poem as a series of maxims on the bodhisattva path. Read text >
A Song of Amazement Inspired by Practice Experience | Meditation
by Sera Khandro
This song of amazement originates in a vision that Sera Khandro had while staying in retreat at Nyimalung in Amdo at the age of twenty-nine. The text is her response to the spirits and demons who appeared to her and asked what she was doing. Read text >
* Lotsāwa ལོ་ཙཱ་བ་; lo tsā ba n. Title used for native Tibetan translators who worked together with Indian scholars (or paṇḍitas) to translate major buddhist texts into Tibetan from Sanskrit and other Asian languages; it is said to derive from lokacakṣu, literally "eyes of the world". See also paṇḍita.
